


Forgotten Rails: The Story of 382

by Huntington_and_Durant_The_4_4_0s (Saberius_Prime), Song of the Rails (DisneyGirl1901)



Category: Thomas the Tank Engine - All Media Types
Genre: American History, F/M, Gen, Historical Event, Tags May Change, Trains, train wreck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2017-02-12
Packaged: 2018-07-16 02:49:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7249057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saberius_Prime/pseuds/Huntington_and_Durant_The_4_4_0s, https://archiveofourown.org/users/DisneyGirl1901/pseuds/Song%20of%20the%20Rails
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It happens every year. The nightmare of her accident many years ago. When an engine on Sodor has an accident very similar to hers, she tells her friends what her life was like back in the early days. This is Cayce. And this is her story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Remember

**Author's Note:**

> No, your eyes do not deceive you. I am co-authoring a fic with Saberius_Prime! On with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Cayce and Bo are Saberius_Prime's.

It happened every year on that night.  After she had gotten to sleep, she would have the same dream.  He would be driving her, they would be talking, he would be kind to her.  It would be a wonderful dream.  Then, just as quickly as it did in real life, it would turn into a nightmare.  He would call for her to stop as he threw on her brakes.  Sometimes it would be different.  Sometimes, he would tell her to try harder.  Other times, he would apologize, but for what, she didn’t know.  And sometimes, at the worst, he would yell at her.  But, it would always end the same way.  Just as she was about to crash into the back of the train, she would wake up.  She could still feel pieces of wood breaking against her front, and his hands on the brake and whistle.

This year, Cayce knew that it wouldn’t be any different, although it didn’t stop her from hoping.  This year was worse.  The weather was, as her driver said, “Dreary.”  Rainy, and foggy closer to the sea.  She had finished her jobs for the day and was parked in the sheds.

Meanwhile, Bo, a Union Pacific Big Boy backed into the shed. He had returned from the mainland with a long heavy train. Rain was still rolling down the side of his boiler.

“Brr..it’s cold out there, Cayce. Reminds me of Wyoming in winter.”

Cayce looked over to the massive engine.

“Yeah,” she sighed, still hoping.

Bo looked over at the smaller engine, his eyes filled with curiosity.

“It’s nearly that time of year again...isn’t it?”

Cayce struggled to respond for a moment.

“...Yes.  Tonight, in fact.”

Just then a telephone rang. A crewman nearby answered it.

“Yes? Yeah, uh-huh. Oh my god. Anyone hurt? Right. I’ll send Bo with Rocky.”

He hung up the phone.

“Henry’s crashed into the back of a stalled train on a siding. He’s badly hurt. Go fetch Rocky and be careful.”

Bo whistled.

“I will!”

Bo raced out of the roundhouse, whistling as loud as he could.

Cayce watched Bo leave, worried about Henry.  She could picture him, racing into the train.  Gradually, the images changed, the train being replaced with the train _she_ crashed into.  She could almost see him in Henry’s cab.  Then Henry collided, and she managed to shake her smokebox free of her cruel mind.  Hoping that maybe she could help, she set off after Bo towards the crash site.  

When Cayce arrived, she was greeted with a terrible sight. Henry was on his side, facing the opposite direction he had come from. His face was bruised and beaten, and he was groaning in pain. Debris laid everywhere. Splinters from the brakevan, and the next six cars laid everywhere. Thankfully no one was in it at the time of the collision. Henry’s driver and fireman had managed to jump clear before Henry collided into the back of the train. Rails had been twisted and bent to insane degrees where Henry left the rails.

Cayce was shocked.  This was far worse than what she had thought.  She quickly rolled up to Bo.

“Is there anything I can do?”

Bo let off steam as Rocky set to work pulling Henry back onto the rails.

“We need to get the unbroken cars out of the way. The train that Henry collided into has already been moved by the lead engine. We need to get Henry’s train moved. You’ll have to be careful. I don’t know how bad the damage is to the middle track. It may not support my weight any longer. I’m not sure about you.”

Cayce bit her tongue.  “Well, if I’m careful, and quick enough, I can do it.”  With that, she whistled and slowly crossed the damaged area of the middle track. The rails groaned underneath her weight and the sleepers seemed to crack. Cayce sped up a fraction and crossed a set of points to where the intact cars of Henry’s train were standing, thankfully, on less damaged tracks.

Soon, she was coupled on, and Henry was back on the rails.

Bo looked around.

“Where’s his tender?”

Cayce looked back towards the crash site.

“I don’t know.”

Henry winced.

“Over...there…”

Bo looked to his left. Henry’s tender was a big pile of scrap metal.

Cayce followed Bo’s gaze and grimaced.

“Oh boy.”

Henry was loaded onto a flatbed, and Bo coupled on.

“Can you take Rocky back to the Search and Rescue Center, Cayce?”

“Sure,” she said, wanting to get away from this.  She never liked crashes, hers or others.

Bo whistled and pulled Henry away to the Steamworks. Rocky’s crane arm was lowered and tied down. Rocky noticed her worriedly, and frightened look.

“Somethin’ the matter, Cayce? You don’t look too good.”

Cayce’s glance quickly snapped over to Rocky.

“No, no.  I’m fine.  Just tired.”

Rocky blinked.

“Well..if you’re sure.”

Soon, Cayce was coupled to Rocky and the two set off. As the two rolled down the line, flashes of lightning cracked across the sky. The storm seemed to be getting worse, and fog began to roll in.  Cayce shuddered as a clap of thunder sounded, echoing in the trees along the rails.  Still, she continued on. Soon, she arrived at the Search and Rescue Center. Workmen were scurrying about. Harold was being rolled into his hanger, and Captain was being pushed into his stable. Rocky was confused.

“What’s goin’ on?”

A workman came over. He had to shout over the raging wind and rain.

“Sir Topham Hatt’s given an order that no engine, crew, or anybody leave their homes or go out on the tracks. The storm is getting worse. It’s too dangerous for anyone to be out. Cayce, put Rocky away and then go to the big shed to spend the night. Belle, Flynn, and Butch will be waiting for you.”

Cayce quickly did so, placing Rocky in his shed, and backing into the big shed.  Belle glanced over at Cayce as she pulled in.

“Hello, Cayce.  Quite a storm, huh?”

Cayce looked over, giving Belle a small smile.

“Yeah.  Really bad.  Have any of you seen anything like it?”

Flynn shrugged his tires.

“Back at the mainland, quite a few times. I hate being stuck in here. I would rather be out there, ready and racing to the rescue!”

Butch sighed.

“I’d rather stay dry. Sure..I’m okay with getting muddy, but with the winds this strong I don’t want to roll over on my side when my magnet’s attached.”

He glanced over at his magnet attachment sitting in the corner of the shed.  Cayce suddenly glanced up as more thunder rolled in.

“I don’t like storms very much.  They…”

Belle looked curiously over to Cayce.

“‘They…’ what?”

Cayce glanced downward.

“Nothing.”

Belle went quiet, before coming up with an idea.

“I have an idea. Let’s tell each other more about ourselves. Butch. Me and Flynn have only worked with you so long, and we never get a chance to really talk. So..spill!”

Butch blinked.

“Well..I...I..spill what? There’s not much to be told about me. What about you, Belle?”

Belle let off steam.

“Well..I..oh...I don’t know what to say.”

Flynn looked over at Cayce.

“What about you, Cayce? You’re sure to have plenty of stories to tell. So..what do you have for us?”

Cayce looked over to Flynn with an expression that was a mix of shock and hesitation.

“Well...,” she started, “You’re right, Flynn.  I do have a few.”  She took a deep breath before continuing.  “I arrived on the Illinois Central Railroad in 1898, having just recently been built at the Rogers Locomotive Works in Paterson, New Jersey…”

* * *

It was a fairly warm April day when engine number 382 rolled into the Water Valley, Mississippi Yards for the Illinois Central Railroad.  Newly built, her dark grey paint on her boiler shone in the sunlight, the letters I.C.R.R. on the sides of her cab. Her black tender contrasted her boiler nicely, her number painted in white.  Occasionally, a stray cloud drifted across the sun, dimming the light in the yards.

A man accompanied by two men came over to the young engine, who was glancing around in wonder.

“Hello, there. Welcome to Water Valley, Mississippi. The name’s Jack Durango. And you are?”

The engine smiled, speaking softly.

“I’m 382.  It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Durango.”

Jack smiled.

“A pleasure to meet you too, Miss 382. These two men will be your crew for today. They’ll take you out for a couple light runs before we test your speed and strength.”

382’s attention turned to the two men behind Mr. Durango.

“Hello.”

The two men nodded and waved. They climbed into her cab, and checked everything over.  382 waited as they did so.

Soon, they pulled on the whistle cord, and a mighty blast of steam screeched into the air. The sound of her whistle echoed throughout the yard. An older engine, a 4-4-0 sat in a siding nearby asleep. He awoke with a start.

“Would you keep it down? I’m tryin’ to sleep.”

382 winced.

“Sorry!  Um… who are you?”

“George. Now leave me alone.”

382’s driver gently patted her cab.

“Don’t mind him. He’s an old fusspot. He just gets upset when a newcomer comes in and it’s a newer design. He hates being outclassed.”

382 looked back towards her driver.

“Oh!  I didn’t mean to do that.”

“It can’t be helped, 382. It’s progress. With the rate he keeps falling apart, it’s very unlikely he’ll be around for much longer.”

Her driver opened up her throttle, and released her brakes. Her wheels began to turn slowly. As she slowly started to steam out onto the line, no one noticed that another new worker had left a set of points, aligned for freight train waiting on the siding.  382 was looking forward toward traveling the line, when she felt her lead wheels swerve onto the siding.  Her new driver and fireman quickly brought her to a complete stop.  Thankfully, no one was hurt and there was no damage.

* * *

 Cayce took a shaky breath.  

“Thank goodness I was going slowly.  If I had been going any faster…”

Belle looked towards Cayce with surprise. Flynn and Butch were equally surprised as well.

Butch spoke up.

“That must have been very scary.”

Flynn agreed.

“I’m glad you were going slowly.”

Cayce closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again, letting her gaze roam around the shed.

“I know.  But I think it was fate.  Fate doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

Belle looked at Cayce with curiosity.

“What do you mean?”

Cayce sighed.

“Well...it all started on April 29th, 1900.  Tonight, over 100 years ago.”


	2. Rumors and Meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The engine and the legend meet for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, confession: Saber did most of the writing for this chapter. I give full credit.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Cayce and Bo are Saberius_Prime's. Mike and Ben are both mine and Saberius_Prime's characters.

“Well, for most, it all started on April 29, 1900. Tonight, over 100 years ago,” Cayce sighed. “But, for me, it started about a week after I first arrived. When I first saw him.”

Belle looked towards Cayce curiously.

“Saw who?”

Cayce took a deep breath before answering.

“Casey Jones.”

Belle, Flynn, and Butch gasped in shock.

“You knew Casey Jones?” asked Belle in surprise.

Flynn moved closer to Cayce.

“He’s, like, one of the most of the widely known engineers of America. How did you get a chance to meet him?”

Cayce bit her lip.

“Well, the first time I met him, it was under...very interesting circumstances...”

* * *

It had been a week since 382 arrived on the Illinois Central Railroad, and her main test runs had been successful. While she yet had the chance to pull a train of her own, she mostly stayed in the yard, pushing cars around into their sidings.

George, the 4-4-0, was getting ready to take a small, but heavy freight train up to Jackson, Tennessee.

“See you later, younglin’. Have a safe day.”

382 glanced ahead to George.

“Alright. Same to you,” she responded shyly.

George whistled and wheezed slowly out of the yard, the train taking most of his puffs to start moving. Just then, a super loud whistle that sounded like some sort of a bird echoed through the yard as a 2-8-0 Consolidation roared into the station and screeched to a stop. The engine was painted black and grey with highlights. The initials I.C.R.R. adorned the sides of his cab while the number 638 adorned his tender.

382 watched with surprise at the engine.

“I’ve never heard a whistle like that before!”

Her driver scoffed.

“It’s just Casey Jones. He’s a show-off, but you gotta respect the man. He always gets late trains into the station on time.”

382 was puzzled.

“Casey Jones? Is that the engine’s name?”

Her driver laughed.

“No. It’s the engineer.”

Meanwhile, Casey came over to 382 and her crew.

“Howdy. Good to see you guys again. Who’s this?”

382’s driver smiled.

“This is 382. She arrived just last week.”

Casey smiled.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss 382.”

382 blushed.

“Thank you, Mr. Jones.”

Casey laughed.

“That was my father. Casey’s fine.”

382 let off steam shyly.

“Okay, Casey.”

Just then a message came through the telegraph line. The telegrapher ran out of his office, and over to 382, her crew, and Casey.

“George is stalled on Three Mile Grade. We need an engine to get him going.”

382 pumped her pistons.

“I can do it.”

The telegrapher looked at 382.

“You sure? You’re pretty small. And you haven’t even left the yard except for your test runs.”

“I’m bigger than George. I may not have a lot of experience, but I still want to try.”

“At least take some back up. Casey, how fast can you and 638 get turned around?”

Casey smiled.

“Let’s find out.”

Casey went over to 638 and climbed into the cab. His fireman quickly uncoupled the train, and climbed back in as Casey moved 638 onto the turntable to be turned around. Once 638 was turned around, 382 quickly steam out of the yard and onto the main line, 638 right behind her. Soon, the two engines found George, spinning his wheels on Three Mile Grade. Sparks flew and his funnel flared. With a grunt of exhaustion, his driver shut off the steam and applied the brakes as 382 and 638 pulled up behind him.

382 whistled.

“Here to help, George!”

George groaned.

“I don’t need your help.”

638 chuckled.

“It sure looks like you do.”

Suddenly, there was a loud pop, and George began to roll back.

“Uh, oh.”

Casey reversed 638 down the grade, but 382 held firm. George’s cars gently tapped into 382’s front coupler and began to push her back. She groaned under the weight, but began to push back.

“I’m...not...letting...you...fall…,” she panted.

Then, she felt something behind her. It was Casey and 638! 638 called up to her.

“Right behind you!”

382 whistled and pushed hard.

“Help us out, George!”

George’s driver released the now broken air brakes and the locomotive brakes, and opened the throttle. Slowly, but surely, the train began to move up the grade.

“I’m doing it,” panted George.

382 laughed.

“No..we’re doing it!”

Soon, the train reached the top, and all three engines were quickly chalked up while George’s air brakes were checked. George’s driver came to the back of the train with bad news.

“George’s air brakes are shot. He’s not gonna be going anywhere.”

382 paused to think.

“What if I take the train?”

638 looked at 382 worriedly.

“Are you sure you can handle it?”

“I’m positive,” she replied. “Let’s get to the next stop and uncouple George from the train. You and I can use our brakes for the train to get there.”

The crews began to discuss the plan. Soon, 382 and 638 were coupled together, and their air lines connected with one another and the train. After a quick air brake test, the three engines slowly moved down the other side of the grade and soon reached the bottom. The line ahead was flat and straight, allowing the three engines to go faster. Soon, the next station appeared in sight. With the hissing of steam, and the squealing of brakes, the engines rolled to a stop.

George was uncoupled from the train and was moved onto a siding out of the way. 638 was uncoupled and turned around, ready to take George back to the Water Valley Yard.

“You did good,” he said to 382.

382 blushed.

“Thanks. What’s your name?”

“I’m Mike. I believe you have a train to pull?”

“Oh, right.”

382 was quickly coupled on and raced away, whistling loudly. Mike and Casey chuckled as she roared out of the station, towing George back to Water Valley, and to get ready for their next train.

* * *

Butch’s eyes were wide with wonder.

“So, what happened next?”

Cayce sighed quietly.

“When I got back from Jackson the next morning, Mr. Durango was so proud of me for performing that well under pressure that he transferred me to a passenger run from Memphis, Tennessee to Canton, Mississippi. This run offered the fastest schedules in the history of railroads. I know some engineers doubted the times could be met, and some even quit!”

Cayce laughed softly as she remembered the good times.

“But..Casey saw it as a challenge, and transferred to the same run I did in February of 1900. I had been on that section of the line for two years, running trains back and forth with another engine named 384. Apparently, he was my younger brother as he was built at a later date then I was. He was named Benjamin after the legend of Ben Franklin who supposedly was struck by lightning and survived. Same thing happened to Benjamin as well. We all called him Ben then.”

Cayce sighed once more.

“Then came that day…the day of that fateful run, and my first wreck...”


	3. Shatter Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright. Saber and I have worked out some kind of schedule. We're gonna be working on The Ice Awakens (a Frozen/Star Wars crossover) this weekend, then the next chapter for this the weekend after.
> 
> Now, for those of you who have figured out what historical event this whole work is based off of, here's the big chapter. On with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: We own nothing. Saber owns Cayce. The events in this chapter did happen in real life, but probably not in the exact way we've portrayed them here. Until someone invents a time machine, this is as close as we can get.

Location: Sodor Search and Rescue Center, Time: April 29th, 2016

“After our first meeting,” Cayce continued, “Casey and I kept running into each other every so often.  Sometimes, we would simply pass each other.  Other times, his engine and I would end up in the same shed and we would talk for a little bit.  Even rarer times, I would see him on one of his days off.  I once saw him in a baseball uniform.  I didn’t even recognize him at first.”

She laughed at the memory.  But her expression soon turned sober.

“Then came that night.  It was rainy and foggy, just like tonight…”

* * *

It was safe to say that 382 was not having a good day.  Her engineer had fallen ill and she had pulled into Poplar Street Station very late. She was told to wait as a temporary driver was found.  As she waited, still in steam, she watched the various people walking around.  However, she didn’t notice two men walking up to her.

“Well, well.  We meet yet again,” a voice teasingly called, yanking her out of her thoughts.

She looked down to her front to find a familiar face.

“Casey!”

Casey smiled.

“How you doin’, Miss 382?”

382 smiled back.

“Well as can be expected, I suppose.”

“You know, in all the times that we met, I never did once give you a name.”

The man beside him laughed.

“That’s because you haven’t given the others names!”

“Hey now, Sim. I did name my old freight engine.”

382 smiled.

“How is Mike doing?”

“He’s doing well,” replied Casey. “Now, we better get you turned around. You got to pull the Number One “Cannonball” back to Canton tonight.”

That’s when 382 put the pieces together.

“You’re going to be my replacement crew?”

Casey nodded.

“Yep. Come on, Sim.”

Casey and Sim climbed into 382’s cab and began to do a checklist.

“Sim, how’s her boiler pressure?”

Sim Webb took a look at the gauge.

“Reading 175 PSI. Pressure is holding.”

“Copy that, Sim.”

Casey pulled on the whistle cord and released 382’s brakes, leading her out of the station and into the yard to turn around on the turntable. As the table spun, Casey snapped his fingers.

“I got it!”

382 looked back to her cab.

“Got what?”

“I’m gonna call you Cayce.”

Sim grinned.

“Your head must’ve gotten bigger at some point.  Naming her after yourself?”

Casey laughed.

“No, my head didn’t get bigger, Sim. I’m naming her after my hometown. It’s where I got my name. I spell it C.A.S.E.Y. My hometown’s name was spelled C.A.Y.C.E. That’s her name. What do you think, 382?”

By now, 382 was all but bouncing on the turntable.

“I love it!”

“Alright. Cayce it is!”

Soon, the turntable had been spun around and Casey blew Cayce’s whistle as she rolled off to the station. The passenger cars for Train One had already been pushed into place by a shunter and were filled with passengers. The train was only six cars long, but with Casey at the throttle, Sim pouring on the coal, and the damp air, it was perfect conditions for a record-setting run.

The newly named “Cayce” quickly backed in front of the coaches.  Briefly, she glanced up at a large clock hanging on a station wall and gasped.

“Casey!  Look at the time!”

Casey glanced at the clock and his watch.  He groaned as he saw that they were nearly 75 minutes late!

“Great. Well, I do appreciate a challenge.”

The conductor of the train signalled Casey to reverse Cayce and connect with the train. With a loud clank, Cayce was coupled to the train. Sim climbed down from her cab and connected the air lines. Once Sim climbed in, Cayce blew her whistle and pulled the train out of the station at 12:50 AM.

Once the train was past the station, Casey pulled Cayce’s regulator open as far as he could.  Cayce smiled and laughed as he did, flying along the track. Casey grinned.

“Enjoying that, Cayce?”

“Of course I am, Casey!”

Sim’s gaze went between the two.  He shook his head, chuckling.  Casey looked over.

“What is it, Sim?”

“Casey, Cayce, Casey, Cayce…  I think I’m gonna get dizzy.”

This set off a fit of laughter in all three of them as Cayce sped off.  Halfway to Grenada, Mississippi, Cayce called back.

“Casey, can we stop for a drink, please?”

Sim looked at Cayce’s water gauge.

“We’d better.  You could use one.”

Casey held up his hands in mock surrender.  

“Alright, alright.  Sardis is coming up in a moment.  We’ll stop there.”

Sure enough, within moments Cayce could see the lights of the station and the town beyond it.  Casey guided her to the water tower standing not too far from the station.  Sim jumped out, and climbed up Cayce’s tender, pulling down the spout and starting the water.

Cayce sighed as she felt the water flowing into her tanks.  Casey chuckled, brushing his hand along the side of her cab.

“Feel better?”

“Much.”

Once Cayce’s tanks were filled, Sim turned off the water and raised the spout.  Cayce let off steam as he climbed back into her cab.  With that, she set off to continue her journey to Grenada.

Cayce and her train pulled into Grenada at about 2:44 AM.  Casey checked his watch and smirked.  

“55 minutes shaved off that delay.”

Sim quietly sighed.  He was about to say something, but Cayce spoke up.

“Umm… Could I have another drink before we continue?”

Casey chuckled.

“Of course.”

After Cayce’s tanks were filled again, they left for Winona, which wasn’t a stop that night. As they rolled through the sleepy town, Casey smirked.

“Amazing. Fifteen more minutes made up. There’s no speed restrictions between here and Durant, Cayce. Let’s see how fast we can go.”

Cayce had a very similar smirk.

“Let’s.”

Sim shook his head.

“Two of them…,” he muttered.

Cayce pumped her pistons, and quickly raced away into the night.  She quickly managed to get up to 75 miles per hour.  Casey was watching her speed, leaning on the Johnson bar.  He looked over.

“Sim, the old girl’s got her dancing slippers on tonight!”

Cayce heard him and was confused.

“But I don’t wear dancing slippers!”

Casey and Sim started laughing so hard they could barely breathe.  Poor Cayce was still very confused.

As the three neared Durant, Casey saw a flagman ahead waving a red flag. He applied the brakes and brought Cayce to a stop at the station platform. The stationmaster came outside and shouted to Casey.

“Casey, you need to take the siding at Goodman to let Cannonball #2 pass. Then you need to head onto Vaughan. The main line will be cleared and you’ll have priority all the way to Canton.”

Casey waved and called back.

“Understood!  Take to siding at Goodman, then head to Vaughan.”

The stationmaster nodded and Casey’s conductor waved his green flag. Two short whistle blasts, and Cayce was led out of Durant.

A few minutes later, Cayce was approaching Goodman.  Casey slowed her down and they headed straight into a siding near the station.

As soon as the last car cleared the switch and it was thrown to the main line, the Cannonball #2 passenger train roared by, heading north towards Memphis. Once the south switch had been cleared and thrown to the main line, Casey eased Cayce out of the siding before picking up speed. Casey checked his watch.

“We’re almost on time. We’re bound to be there right “on the advertised” time, Sim!”

Sim chuckled.

“As always, Casey.”

Casey then had a surprise.

“Hey, Cayce.  How would you like it if I asked if I could be an official “back up”?  In other words, if your normal engineer ever became ill again, I could take his place.”

At that moment, Cayce could have sworn this was the best night of her life.

“I’d love it!  Please!”

However, Casey would soon meet his fate. As they neared the town of Vaughan, Cayce was going seventy-five miles an hour. They were going around a bend, and Casey couldn’t see what was ahead.  Cayce was so happy that she almost didn’t see the light on the back of a train!  She gasped.  Moments later, Sim shouted.

“Oh my Lord, there's something on the main line!"

Casey stood up, and turned to Sim.

“Jump, Sim. Jump!”

Sim obeyed, jumping out of Cayce’s cab and being knocked unconscious as he landed.  Casey quickly reversed Cayce and slammed the brakes into “Emergency Stop.” He pulled on the whistle cord, and Cayce’s whistle echoed loudly, warning anyone who was still in the caboose to get out and away.

“Cayce!  Stop!”

But it was too late. Cayce plowed through the wooden caboose, splintering it to bits. The next car was full of hay, and that was soon demolished. Cayce went through a car of corn and halfway through a car with timber before leaving the rails. Her cowcatcher plowed into the embankment by the track, crumbling inward before she flipped over, facing the opposite way she came.  The last thing she knew was something solid hitting her face before everything went black.

* * *

By this point, Cayce was in tears.

“I-I was in what they called a “coma” w-w-while they salvaged and repaired me.  S-S-Sim was there when I woke up…”

* * *

When Cayce opened her eyes, she saw Sim standing in front of her, dressed in black instead of his uniform.  She smiled.

“Sim!  Hi!”

Sim didn’t respond for a moment.

Cayce looked worried.

“Sim?  Where’s Casey?  Is he alright?”

Sim sighed.

“Cayce...he...he didn’t make it. It’s believed he died on impact.”

Cayce was shocked.

“He...he didn’t?”

Sim shook his head.

“No.  They found him in your cab, still holding onto your brakes and whistle cord.”

Cayce looked down.  Sim walked up to her, placing his hand on the side of her smokebox.

“None of the other passengers died.  Most weren’t even injured. You and Casey saved their lives.”

Cayce sighed sadly.

“Thank you, Sim. For telling me.”

The two stood still, looking down in sadness.

* * *

Flynn, Belle, and Butch looked at Cayce in shock.  She was crying so hard she barely speak.

Belle spoke up.

“Cayce? Are you okay?”

Cayce didn’t answer for a moment.

“Y-Yeah.  I think so.”

Flynn rolled along side Cayce.

“We’re really sorry that happened to you. Butch and I may not understand it because we’re not engines, but we still are sorry.”

Butch nodded.

“Yeah. We’re really sorry.”

Cayce sniffed, trying to stop crying.

“It’s alright.  It’s not your fault.”

Belle gently let off steam at Cayce to comfort her.

“So...what happened after your wreck?”

Cayce squeezed her eyes shut.

“Well, when one reaches the top, the only way left to go is down.  That night, until the wreck, was one of the best nights of my life.  Things didn’t get much better after that...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who are wondering about times, here's what we figured out;
> 
> "Casey left Memphis at 12:50 PM. 50 Miles into the run at 70mph, it’s now 1:42 PM. Stop at Sardis for water. Left at 1:58. Arrived at Grenada at 2:40 AM. Leaves at 2:45 AM. Arrives in Winona at 3:06 AM. Doesn’t Stop. Increases speed up to 75 because of the no speed restrictions. Arrives at Durant at 3:30. Takes orders to take the siding at Goodman. Arrives at the Goodman siding at 3:38 AM. Cannonball # 2 passes, gets back on the main. Leaves at 3:40. Collides with the freight train in Vaughan at 3:52 AM."
> 
> Hey, you guys should be impressed. We had to do MATH! Anyways, keep an eye out for the next chapter of The Ice Awakens coming out sometime next week!


	4. The Curse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another wreck and a new friend, perhaps something more...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, warning. If you cried in the last chapter, you might want to grab some tissues... In fact, you may want to grab some even if you didn't.....
> 
> Anyways, on with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: Neither Saber nor I own Thomas and friends. Cayce is Saber's. We share Mr. Durango and Drew.

In the main sheds of the Sodor Search and Rescue Center, everyone was quiet. They didn’t know how much pain and suffering Cayce went through and they couldn’t find words to comfort her.

Cayce let off steam feebly.

“Mr. Durango let me stay in my shed for a couple of days after I was fixed while they arranged for a new driver for me.  As soon as they did, I was put right back on the Cannonball run.  Ben was being overworked.  Sim came with me.  After that run, he left.  Moved up to Chicago, I think.  I never saw him again.”

She took a deep breath.

“It was only three years later, in January of 1903, when I had my next big wreck.  I had been working with my driver, Harry Norton, since my first wreck…”

* * *

It was winter time on the Illinois Central. Snow had been falling down lightly for the past few weeks. New Years had come and gone, and Cayce was out plowing snow in the yard, trying to keep it cleared for freight trains and passenger trains coming and going out of Memphis.

Cayce sighed as she took on water and coal. Just then a foreman came over.

“Harry, you and 382 have to take a freight train down to Canton.”

Harry nodded.

“Right. We’re on it.”

Cayce backed into the siding where her freight train was, waiting as she was coupled up.  Harry turned to the fireman.

“We’ll have to be careful.  I’ve heard that rail bandits have been getting bolder lately.”

Cayce grew worried at hearing this.

“Rail bandits?”

Harry sighed.

“Yes, 382.  Rail bandits and criminal train wreckers.”

Cayce shivered.  She didn’t want to pull this train, not with people like that around.  She would have rather stayed in the yards.  But, orders were orders and she had to follow them. Cayce soon collected her train and set off.

Meanwhile, a few miles south of Memphis, three men were wiring a signal to remain green, while two others were changing the points of a switch not too far after the signal.

“Hurry up on that signal,” shouted one of them. “The 4 O’clock freight will be here any minute!”

Suddenly, the signal sparked, and flashed red once before staying green.

“I got it.”

Their leader nodded.

“Good. Let’s clear out.”

The five bandits quickly fled the scene.

In the meantime, Cayce was coming down from Memphis.  Harry and her fireman were talking in whispers again.  They did that every so often after he had been assigned to her.  In all honesty, she didn’t like going down to Canton anymore.  Going down to Canton meant going past the siding where she had crashed.  There was still an imprint in the bank from where she had crashed even though it had been three years, and corn still grew in the surrounding fields from the car of it she had gone through.

Before that thought went any further, Cayce felt her wheels come off the rails. She suddenly rolled over and hit the ground hard, sliding to a stop against a tree. There she laid dizzy and weak. Her vision faded in and out before everything went black.

A couple weeks later, Cayce awoke with a wracking pain in her funnel. She slowly opened her eyes.

“Where...where..am I?”

“Water Valley Works,” said a voice.

It was Mr. Durango!

Cayce looked over.

“Hello, sir… How long was I out?”

“A couple weeks,” he replied. “Your driver is in the hospital.”

Cayce gasped.

“Is he okay?”

“He was badly scalded and his legs were broken in the crash, but he’s gonna be fine. Your fireman on the other hand…”

Cayce looked down sadly.

“The signal was green, sir.”

“It wasn’t your fault. It was a group of train wreckers. They rewired the signal to stay green, and switched the points into a siding.”

Cayce suddenly felt something feathery touch her tender.

“Who’s touching me?!”

A workman quickly pulled his brush away from Cayce’s tender.

“Don’t worry.  We’re just giving you a new number.”

“A new number?”

Mr. Durango looked a little concerned.

“Yes.  There’s been rumors going around that you’re cursed.  That something is making you crash.  This new number should be a curse-breaker.”

Cayce scoffed.

“I am not cursed, sir!”

But she was slowly starting to doubt her statement.  Mr. Durango held his hands up, trying to calm Cayce down.

“I didn’t say that you definitely were.  I’m just saying that people are thinking you might be.”

Cayce huffed.

“Just finish fixing me.”

A few days later, Cayce was fixed and was put on yard duty. Her new number, 212, reflected brightly against the sun, but Cayce didn’t notice. She was too upset to care, and she was bumping the cars a bit too hard.

“Ow, ow, ow! Watch what you’re doing!”

Just then a whistle echoed throughout the yard as a 4-6-0, freshly built, rolled into the yard. His paint was a bright green, and his tender had Southern painted on in beautiful bright gold leafwork. His number painted in white, 1102, shone in the sun as he rolled to a stop.  Cayce became curious and and rolled over to this new engine.

“Hello.”

The new engine smiled, his bucktooth grin showing.

“Howdy, I’m Drew. I’m lookin’ for Water Valley, Mississippi.”

Cayce glanced around her for a moment before looking back towards Drew.

“Well, you’ve come to the right place.  This is Water Valley.”

Drew smiled again.

“Well, thank ye kindly. And you are, Miss?”

Cayce smiled shyly.

“I’m Cayce.  It’s nice to meet you, Drew.”

Mr. Durango then came over.

“Welcome to Water Valley, Mississippi. You must be Drew. Glad you could come over here from the Southern Railway to help us out. We’ve had a power shortage lately and could use all the help we can get.”

Drew smiled.

“Happy to help, Sir. Where do ye need me?”

Mr. Durango nodded.

“Well, we need a passenger engine to help run the Cannonball Express down to Canton. 212 here is stuck on Yard Duty for the time being.”

Cayce glanced back over to Drew.

“It’s a very fast run.  And the schedules are extremely tight.”

Drew nodded.

“Right. I’ll head up to Memphis and get started right away.”

Drew whistled and puffed out of the yard.  Cayce watched as Drew left.  Her boiler felt funny, like there were lots of butterflies trapped inside.  She knew that wasn’t true, since she never saw any during winter.  But, she figured she needed to get back to work before her thoughts ran away with her.  She puffed away and quickly shunted the cars in place, being more gently with them.

* * *

Belle gasped sweetly.

“Aw..you loved him, didn’t you?”

Cayce glanced over to Belle before looking back down again.

Butch looked over.

“Uh..Belle...I think you upset her.”

Cayce looked over to Butch.

“Not really.  Yes, I did love him and he loved me.  He stayed for a few months before he left for the Southern Railway, with a promise to come back and an offer to visit him.”

Cayce looked down once more.

“But fate decided to hurt me once again...”

* * *

It had been a few months since Drew left for the Southern Railway as Cayce worked in South Memphis Yards. It was now late September and the leaves were changing colors, falling to the ground. A tractor in a nearby field was currently plowing to get the crops ready for harvesting and distributing around the country. As Cayce worked, she could hear the telegraph in the station, clicking and buzzing as the telegrapher continued to send out messages. Suddenly, a message came in.

**_“Train 97 for the Southern Railway out of Washington D.C. has crashed off of trestle in Danville, VA. STOP.”_ **

The telegrapher gasped and quickly looked out the window at Cayce, who was continuing her work as if nothing was wrong. He quickly sent a reply.

**_“Which engine was leading Train 97? STOP.”_ **

The answer he had dreaded came through.

**_“1102. STOP.”_ **

The telegrapher took off his headset and slid down into his chair. He had to tell Cayce. Everyone knew the two engines were in love.

Meanwhile, Cayce had made up a couple of smaller trains.  She was just about to start on another train when she noticed that the telegraph was silent.  She puffed over to the telegraph office.

“Mr Telegrapher?  Is everything alright?”

The telegrapher opened a window facing the tracks and leaned out.  His face was almost as white as the paint on Cayce’s tender.  Cayce knew that he hadn’t received good news.

“212… Drew… His train crashed.  He was the lead engine.  It sounded like he fell off a trestle, at high speed.”

Cayce gasped.

“No..no..there must be something else. He..can’t..have..there must have been something lost in the morse code. Something!”

Her voice began to break and she began to cry.  The telegrapher glanced back at his set.

“They didn’t say what condition he was in, but I can ask them to confirm it.”

He went back to the telegraph key and typed out the question. He returned with the bad news.

“He’s...he’s dead, 212.”

Cayce was still for a moment, trying to think straight.  She could feel more tears prickling at the corners of her eyes.  Before anyone could do or say anything, she was racing backwards towards the sheds, crying as she had after she learned Casey had died.

A couple days later, Mr. Durango came to the sheds and knocked on the door of Cayce’s berth.

_“Go away,”_ came Cayce’s voice, muffled a little bit by the shed doors.

“I have news, 212. The Southern Railway is letting you come to their railway so you can say goodbye to Drew. They’re going to repair him...but...he won’t be alive again. He’ll just be a simple machine.”

There was silence for a minute.

_“Can I go?”_ Cayce finally asked.

Mr. Durango nodded.

“You may.”

There was silence for a moment more before the shed doors opened and Cayce moved forward so Mr. Durango could see her.  She looked like she hadn’t slept since before she heard of Drew’s death.  Her eyes were red and her cheeks were shiny where her tears had left tracks.  Mr. Durango could see water covering and pouring down Cayce’s front.

Mr. Durango stepped aside, and bowed his head.

“You’re cleared to go, 212. Go to him.”

Cayce let out a weak blast from her whistle that sounded like a dying bird as she slowly puffed out of the sheds. Her rods creaked and groaned as she sluggishly moved onto the main line.

A day and a half passed before she reached Southern Railway’s line. She quietly rolled into the main hub of the Southern Railway. There was a roundhouse, a small station, a water tower, and coaling tower. Across from the roundhouse was the repair shed. Cayce could see a broken frame sitting inside. The wheels had been torn off, the cab was completely destroyed and the smokebox door, which was once where the smile of buck-toothed engine resided, was now a silver piece of broken metal.

Cayce hesitated for a minute, tears coming back.  She hesitantly puffed forward, stopping in front of what she couldn’t even call an engine anymore.  She stood there for a moment, trying to picture Drew’s face there.  Finally, she quickly puffed away, crying again.

The other engines on the railway kindly let her stay in the roundhouse while she was there.  The only space left open was Drew’s, but she stayed anyways.  The night before she was due to leave, as the other engines’ crews finished settling their engines for the night, Cayce could hear them whispering amongst themselves.  After they all had left, the engines turned to Cayce curiously.

“212, are you cursed?”

Cayce jumped at this question.

“I...I’m not sure.  Why are you asking?”

Another engine answered.

“My driver said something about you being cursed.  He said they changed your number as a curse breaker, but your curse could have traveled to Drew.”

A third engine spoke up.

“My driver says that too.  He also thought that now Drew’s gone, the curse might go back to it’s source.  Which would be you.”

Cayce couldn’t believe the engines were saying such mean things to her and about Drew. She steamed out of the roundhouse and went to the only place she could feel safe. In the repair shed where Drew’s frame was.

As she settled down to sleep, she found she couldn’t.  She knew nightmares would plague her, just as they had ever since she heard the news.  Time passed as Cayce tried to fall asleep and failed.  At just about 3 o’clock in the morning, everything felt still.  A warm breeze that seemed to be coming from the frame beside her surrounded her.  Cayce smiled a little bit, leaning in the direction the breeze was coming from.  For a moment, she felt like Drew was still alive and right beside her.  A few minutes later, she fell asleep with the smallest of smiles on her face.

What she didn’t see was a thick mist appear over the smokebox door on Drew’s frame.  For a few moments, Drew’s face appeared again.  He watched Cayce for a minute before disappearing.  As if he was never there.

* * *

Belle, Flynn, and Butch were shocked. Belle had tears creeping around the bottom of her eyes.

“Cayce...that..that..” Belle began to cry.

Butch and Flynn watched with worry. They had never seen Belle break down like this before.  Cayce was crying again, more than she had after she told them about Casey.

Once the two female steam engines calmed down and stopped crying, Cayce continued.

“I actually got a good night’s rest that night.  It was a good thing, too.  Because things got very...interesting the next morning…”  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, I'm not crying. Something got stuck in my eye...
> 
> Interesting note; Drew (AKA 1102) is the same engine from "Wreck of the Old 97"
> 
> Oh! One more thing. "Star Wars: The Ice Awakens" won't be updated next weekend. Saber and I will be putting up another (yes, another) story. Not going to say what it is, though. You'll just have to wait and see!
> 
> Anyways, leave kudos, leave a review, and we'll see you guys later!


	5. Meeting a Celebrity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new friend and a little adventure...

Cayce sniffled, having stopped crying.  “That night, I got the best sleep I had in weeks.  When I woke up, I almost thought Drew was still alive.  It didn’t last too long though.”

Belle looked over to Cayce curiously.  “What happened next?”

“Well…” Cayce said, “Things got very...interesting when my crew came for me…”

* * *

As Cayce started to calm down, the doors to the repair shed were thrown open.  The light streamed in, hitting Cayce’s face for a moment.

“Well, well.  We’ve been lookin’ all over the place for you.”

“Yeah.  Harry and I aren’t happy, missy.”

Cayce froze a bit at hearing her crew’s voices.  There was something very off about how they spoke.  Their words slurred together and there was a strange smell hanging in the air.

“You do know that you’re ‘posed ta sleep in the sheds so we can find ya.”

That’s when Cayce figured it out.  Her crew was drunk, very drunk.  It was against regulation for crews to operate engines while under the influence of alcohol, but there had been cases of someone showing up a little on the tipsy side.  However, Cayce had never seen anyone who worked with her so drunk.

Harry came closer, glaring at her with his eyes darting to different points on her face.

“Why...is there two...no...three? Four of you?”

Cayce looked confused.

“There’s only one of me, Mr. Norton.”

Harry just shrugged and climbed into her cab, the fireman doing the same. Soon, her fire was lit and Cayce set off, albeit with a bumpy start.  Cayce was very worried.

“Mr. Norton, are you alright?”

A snore could be heard from the cab.

Cayce really wasn’t getting any good feelings about this.  She blew her whistle loudly.

“I’m awake!” shouted Harry from the cab.

“Mr. Norton, are you alright?” Cayce repeated.

“I’m fine. Just a bit...waysided...come on. Let’s...go home..,” he slurred.

Soon, Cayce was on the main line, heading west for home. A couple miles down the line, Cayce failed to noticed that the points ahead were switched to go further west and not south for home. She roared past the switch, heading into unknown territory.

However, for the next little while, her mind wasn’t focused on the scenery.  Instead, Cayce was listening to her crew anxiously. Meanwhile, a bit further up the track sat an old steamer. Wrinkles could be seen on his face. He had a straight smokestack and was labeled GVG&N #1. Little did anyone know, he was probably the most famous engine in existence. But, no one recognized him or his best friend for this. The old engine sighed deeply.

Suddenly, a 4-6-0 raced by him at high speed.

“That’s odd. I swore her crew was asleep…”

The old engine whistled and raced backwards down the siding, switching onto the main line and pushing himself as hard as he could to keep up with the younger engine.

Meanwhile, Cayce couldn’t hear her crew talking and she was speeding up in a way she didn’t at all feel comfortable with.

“Mr. Norton?  Please slow down!”

But her crew didn’t respond. Suddenly, a loud bump was felt as something coupled up to her tender. The sound of screeching brakes was heard as someone jumped into Cayce’s cab, shutting off steam and applying her brakes. Soon, Cayce rolled to a stop.

Cayce sighed as she finally stopped.  It was now that she looked around and saw that she was completely lost.

“Where...where am I?”

The engine behind her was chuckling.

“Welcome to West Virginia. The name’s Jupiter.”

Cayce thought for a minute.  “Jupiter?  I remember Casey talking about a ‘Jupiter.’  He said he was one of the first two engines to cross the US.” A couple of tears started to form as she remembered Casey and how kind he was to her.

Jupiter laughed.

“Yep. I was there for the Golden Spike Ceremony.” 

When the old engine began to hear her cry, he frowned.

“You alright, little miss?”

Cayce sniffled.

“I...I think so.  I’m from the ICRR.  I’ve never been here and I’m very lost and...my crew…”

Jupiter’s fireman stepped down from Cayce’s cab.

“Yeah, they’re asleep and drunk. They shouldn’t have been running a beautiful steamie such as yourself. Come on. We’ll get you some water and get you into a siding so your crew can sleep it off.”

Cayce blushed a little at hearing the fireman’s compliment.

“Thank you.  That sounds wonderful.”

Soon, Jupiter pulled her into the siding her was in before and uncoupled from her before puffing back around and stopping in front of her cowcatcher.

“So...Casey Jones was your driver that night? He’s quite famous. He’s highly regarded as a hero. I’m not that famous anymore.”

Cayce glanced down.

“Yes.  But I wish he hadn’t died.  Now everyone says I’m cursed.  You have it much easier.  You don’t have everyone important to you leaving.”

“No such thing as a cursed engine. I’ve derailed plenty of times...five I think. Nobody’s saying I’m cursed. I’m just gettin’ old. My wheels don’t track like they used to.”

He started laughing, but then began to cough horribly.  Cayce’s eyes darted up to see him.

“Are you alright?”

Jupiter finished coughing and spoke up, his voice a bit scratchier.

“Yeah...just a little clogged. Coal and I haven’t had the best of friendships. I used to burn wood, you know.”

“No, I didn’t.  I thought engines always burned coal.”

“Well...back when I first started out west, there was a huge abundance of trees. Basically, all you had to do was, if you ran out of fuel, you could ask the local rancher for firewood and be on your way again. Now...I’m pretty much alone. My sisters and my brother have long been scrapped. I’m the only one left. Not to mention my best friend was scrapped...about a year ago today.” 

Cayce’s eyes widened and she glanced down again.

“My...my love, Drew, fell off a trestle and...died not too long ago.  I was...coming back from...paying my respects…”

“I heard about that. It was all over the telegraph lines. You have my condolences.”

Cayce sniffled again.

“Thank you.  And you have mine.”

Jupiter smiled softly.

Soon, the two engines fires were dropped and Jupiter’s crew hauled Cayce’s crew out of her cab and into the local crew house for the night.  Cayce sighed.

“So, we’re out here for the night…”

“Yep. Then once your crew is sober, we’ll take you to the switch you missed and you can head on home.”

Cayce smiled kindly.

“Thank you.  I wish I could do something to repay you.”

“Just your condolences are enough for this ole’ timer.”

Cayce chuckled before glancing back up.

“The stars are beautiful tonight.”

“Yeah. It’s said that when former loved ones die, their souls, if pure, get to have a place among the stars.”

Cayce didn’t say much for a minute, idly scanning the stars for any that caught her eye.

“Do you have any up there?” she finally asked.

“For some they can only hope, but I like to think 119, Storm, Whirlwind, and Leviathan are up there somewhere. Watching over me. Kind of gives me reassurance to know that they’re okay.” 

Cayce smiled.

“I’m sure they are.”

“What about you?” asked the old engine.

“I hope Drew is up there.  And Casey.  He more than deserves to be up there.”

Jupiter looked up and smiled.

“I’m sure they both are. Come on. We better get some shut-eye. You got a long trip tomorrow.”

Jupiter’s eyes fluttered shut and he snored softly.

Cayce sighed and closed her eyes, falling asleep soon afterwards. But, as she slept, she didn’t see two stars shining brightly, casting their light onto her. If someone was looking up at them, they would swear the two stars winked. The light began to fade away, leaving a quiet Cayce to sleep.

The next morning, the two engines were awoken to warmth in their boilers as their crews shoveled coal and brought their steam up.

Harry groaned.

“Gah...my head…”

Jupiter laughed.

“Serves you right.”

Cayce smiled a little mischievously.

“Seeing four of somebody would give anyone a headache.”

Harry frowned, but continued to work on Cayce and getting her ready. Soon, the two engines were ready and received permission to enter the main line. Jupiter led her over to a turntable.

“You can get yourself turned around here.”

“Thank you, Jupiter,” Cayce said, smiling.

Once she was on the turntable, the table began to spin, spinning her around until she was facing the opposite direction. Soon, the two were back on the main line and they quickly arrived at a switch.

“Here we are. This is where we part ways.”

“Thank you, Jupiter, for everything.  I hope we can meet again sometime.”

“Agreed, little miss. Farewell for now.”

Jupiter whistled and puffed away. The signalman threw the switch and the signal dropped for all clear.  Cayce whistled and started off.  There were two groans from her cab.

“Cayce, can you keep it down?”

Cayce could only chuckle.

* * *

Cayce sighed.  “Harry Norton was never fired.  As much as Mr. Durango believed me, my word wasn’t enough and he couldn’t contact anyone who had seen my crew that day.  However, they got a stern lecture about drinking and working with me.  I never saw them that drunk again.”

Flynn glanced over at her.  “What happened next?”

“A lot of things…” Cayce said.


	6. Home At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of her history and a new beginning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY! We come to the END of Forgotten Rails! Saber and I have been working on this one for...(checks date)...I think almost a year now. Woah.
> 
> Anyways, on with the show!
> 
> Disclaimer: One last time, Saberuis and I only own the plot and OCs. Any characters, places, or etcetera you recognize aren't ours.

“After meeting Jupiter,” Cayce continued, “things were fairly alright.  I mainly kept myself out of trouble.  There was a small incident of turning over in the yard, which caused my number to be changed _again_ …” She paused for a moment and took a breath.  “Either way, Harry Norton was transferred to another engine, which I was very sad about. I had started to like him. A couple years later in 1912, I was involved in another wreck at Kinmundy, Illinois. My number was changed _yet again_ and stayed the same until July of 1935.”

“What happened?” asked Belle quietly.

“Another collision.  I didn’t know what would happen next, but it came quickly…”

* * *

That day, July 14th, Cayce carefully made up the last train of the day before her retirement the next morning, which George was going to take it to a nearby town. George had been retired a year before, but the railroad pulled him back into service when a spike in railroad traffic prompted a need for more engines. At the time of the spike the railroad couldn’t afford new engines, so they brought a lot of the old 4-4-0’s and a couple 4-6-0’s back into service, Cayce’s brother, Ben, included. Times had certainly changed on the Illinois Central. Casey’s former engine, Mike, had been sold to the Mexican Government in 1921, and, as far as Cayce knew, he was still running there. More and more steam classes were dropping fast. It felt to Cayce as if the end was near.

George coupled up to the train with a dull clank.

“I swear these trains are gettin’ heavier each day, younglin’.”

Cayce blushed, rolling her eyes.

“I’m not that young anymore, George.”

George chuckled, wheezing a bit.

“Aw, well, you’re still that young engine who woke me up all those years ago. I ain’t gonna be around forever, younglin’. Times are changin’. Steam engines just keep getting bigger and faster and the older ones are droppin’ like flies. I met a 2-8-2 Mikado the other day. He’s bigger than you and me. Anyways, I’d better get a move on. See you tomorrow, younglin’.”

George whistled and slowly puffed out of the yard.  Cayce sighed and headed back to the roundhouse.  She had to admit that she would enjoy sleeping in the next morning.  It sounded wonderful. Cayce fell asleep, looking forward to a long night’s rest.

As dawn began to break across the sky, the telegraph lines buzzed rapidly reporting there was a crash.  The roundhouse doors were thrown open, the rising sun shining in the engines faces.

“5012!  Up you get!  George’s crashed!”

However, Cayce still slept.  Until someone kicked one of her driving wheels, which woke her up in an instant.

“Ouch!  What was that for?”

“We’re getting George,” her driver replied, climbing up and checking on her fire.  “There’s been a wreck.”

Cayce, who was squinting to keep the sun out of her eyes, grew worried.  “How bad?”

“Not bad enough to kill him, but bad enough to do a lot of damage.”

Cayce let off steam in shock. She quickly started, heading out of the roundhouse and getting turned around on the turntable, as she had to run backwards to the accident site. When they arrived, Cayce’s driver and fireman were shocked. Tons of supplies, ranging from mail to coal to food, were strewn all over. A crane was sitting nearby, clearing up the mess. George sat on a flatbed in a siding, facing the accident site. His front was badly mangled and his face was puffy with black and blue marks all over.

“Hey...yogln’,” he slurred, his ability to speak dampened by the puffiness of his face.

Cayce gasped.  “George!  What happened?”

A worker came up to them.  “From what we’ve been able to figure out, a signalman switched George onto the same track as incoming double headed freight.  His brakes failed and they couldn’t stop in time.”

A tear ran down Cayce cheek.  Yes, George had annoyed her every once in a while, but she almost thought of him as a brother.

“Don’...wory...yougln...I...be...bck in no...tme.” George slurred.

A workman gently patted George’s side.

“Easy. Save your strength.”

“I...tellin...you...I’m...ow…”

“‘Ow’ would be right in any case,” the first workman spoke up from where he was talking to Cayce’s crew.  “I’m not sure how you even survived that.”

Cayce’s crew looked worried.

“I don’t think he’s gonna be able to repaired. With Drew it was easy, but this...I don’t how they can fix this. It would cause severe pain to George. What do you think we should do?”

The workman thought for a moment.

“Let me call Mr. Durango.  He has final say.”

With that, he walked off.  Meanwhile, Cayce carefully backed up next to George.  She could barely speak as she now saw the full extent of his damage.

“George… You look…”

“Fabulous!  I’m _so_ fabulous!”

Now, Cayce was really worried.  The George she remembered would never be caught scrapped saying that. A workman nearby whispered.

“I think the crash did more than damaged his body. I don’t think he’s sane anymore. Not that he was sane to begin with.”

Cayce sighed.

“I’m almost afraid you’re right.”

Just then, the workman who had called Mr. Durango returned.  He climbed up into Cayce’s cab and whispered something to her crew.  It was too low for Cayce to hear, but her crew’s cries of protest told Cayce of George’s fate.

“Come on,” her driver finally said.  “We need to get moving.”

Cayce let off steam feebly and coupled up to the flatbed. George was silent, but was humming softly. Then he began to sing quietly.

“Home...home on the range...where the deer...and the...what was the word again? Sing it with me, Younglin’!”

Cayce winced at George’s slightly off-key singing, but joined in nonetheless.

“Where the deer and the antelope play…”

“Where seldom is heard, a discouraging word…and the skies are not cloudy all day...” finished George.

As the two moved along, George was silent. As they neared the scrap yard, George spoke.

“It’s my time to go...isn’t it?”

Cayce hesitated, tears starting to form.

“I...I suppose…”

George smiled softly, the light fading from his eyes.

“Don’t worry, younglin...I’ll be with...my brothers...and sisters...soon…Goodbye...Cayce....” Then he went silent.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the case.  As Cayce was uncoupled, she was turned around.  However, instead of heading back to Water Valley, she was backed into a storage siding and her fire was dropped.  Poor Cayce started to panic.

“W-W-What’s going on?!”

Her driver came up to her.

“I’m sorry, 5012, but...orders are orders.  Mr. Durango specifically said to leave you here.”

Cayce could only watch as her crew left and the scrappers begin to cut apart George, who passed silently only a few minutes before, leaving nothing but an empty shell.  Cayce couldn’t bear to watch much more and shut her eyes tightly.

* * *

Cayce was crying again, sniffling as she tried to stop.

The others were all worried.  Cayce had almost been scrapped?  Quite a few engines on the island had been, true, but they didn’t imagine Cayce was one of them.

Still sniffling, but managing to calm down enough to speak, Cayce continued.

“I-I was there...for about...5 months.  Until...I thought my worst fears...were coming true…”

* * *

It was a snowy winter.  Cayce sat shivering in her siding, watching as engines came in.  Thankfully, winter meant that the scrappers worked inside, so she wouldn’t see more scrapping. At least, not until winter was over. The months had not been kind to Cayce. Her once shining coat of black paint was faded, her numbers were worn, and she was badly rusted. Even the inside of her cab was not immune from the elements.

What was once a pristine and almost clean cab was now rusting and rotting. Her windows had been shattered from hail and rocks. Snow had built up in her cab due to no covering. The seats for her crew were rotted, while the odd squirrel or critter made homes in her firebox away from the cold weather.

Suddenly, two men came up to her and looked her over, checking her wheels and running gear especially.  Cayce froze, stiffening.

“W-What’s going on?”

The men didn’t respond.  They silently finished their check and went back to the main shed.  However, it was only for a few minutes.  When they returned, they brought an engine with them and coupled her up.  Cayce feared the worst.

“N-N-No!  Leave m-me alone!”

She shook and tried to escape.  Luckily, her coupling was in very bad shape and it easily broke loose.  She was on a hill, so, once she got properly moving, she quickly picked up speed.  She entered another siding where another man was working on the buffers.  Cayce gasped.

“Look out!”

It must have been pure luck that the man heard her and jumped, barely missing her front as she smashed into the buffers.  They broke from the impact, derailing her and burying her wheel-deep in snow.

The men approached her and started yelling at her.  Cayce glanced at them before she finally broke.  Everything caught up with her at once.  Casey, Drew, Jupiter, George, Mr. Durango… Cayce sobbed, her whole frame rattling as she did. Just then, someone gently placed a hand on her cowcatcher.

“There, there. What’s wrong?”

Cayce slowly opened her eyes.  Her vision was blurry from her tears, but she could see some one there.

“P-Please don’t.  You...You’ll be cursed too.”

“Cursed? I don’t think you’re cursed. You’re just scared. But there’s no reason to be.”

Now that her vision had cleared somewhat, she saw that this person was most definitely not one of the scrappers.  He was a lot...larger around the middle.  He also wore a fancy suit and a top hat with a thick coat thrown over it.  Her tears dried as she looked at him curiously.

“But… Casey and...Drew...and George…..  Almost everyone I get close to…”

The portly man smiled sadly.

“I know about those accidents. And, Cayce, you’re not cursed. Those were just accidents. The curse is a myth, not a fact. Besides, there’s someone who wants to see you.”

Cayce frowned curiously, sniffing.

“Who?”

A familiar voice spoke.

“Hello, Cayce. It’s been a long time.”

It was Sim! He had a brown trench coat on and you could see grey hairs sticking out underneath his hat.

“Sim!” Cayce exclaimed, not sure whether to laugh or break down crying again.

“Hey, Cayce. There’s someone else I want you to meet. This is my baby girl. My wife and I named her after you.”

He held a small bundle of blankets in front of Cayce. A beautiful baby girl be seen in the blankets, sleeping softly.

“There’s something else too. Mr. Hatt?”

Sir Topham Hatt was looking off in the distance, before he stuttered and spoke.

“Oh, right. I have some good news for you. I need an engine as an engine of mine is currently undergoing a rebuild. How would you like to run again?”

Cayce started crying again, this time tears of joy.

“Yes!  Please!”

Sir Topham Hatt chuckled.

“Let’s get you out of the snow first.”

Cayce looked around her and blushed.

“...Please?”

Once Cayce was pulled from the snow and back on the rails, a flatbed was pushed alongside her and she was lifted onto it via a crane.

“Now, we have a long journey ahead of us. We have to make a run to New York to get home.”

“Where’s home?” Cayce asked, her tears finally dried and smiling hopefully.

Sir Topham smiled at Cayce.

“The Island of Sodor.”

* * *

Cayce was beginning to calm down now.  “As soon as I arrived, I was sent straight to the works.  Most of me was alright, thankfully.  I was there for a few weeks as they repaired me and put me through test after test.  I was very anxious, but I was finally able to get out onto the rails under my own power.  Sir Topham Hatt was very nice and let me run along the main line to help me get used to my new route.”

* * *

After the majority of Cayce’s tests were finished, she was sent back to the works to be repainted. When she arrived, a sky blue tank engine was sitting nearby, getting checked over by workmen.

“I’m telling you I’m fine,” the little tank engine grumbled.

Just then a workman came over to Cayce.

“Sir Topham Hatt wants to know what you want your number to be.”

Cayce thought for a minute before finally deciding.

“382, please.”

And so it was done. Cayce’s original number was repainted onto her tender and her black paint was spruced up. Instead of having I.C.R.R. on her cab, it was repainted to N.W.R.Y. for the North Western Railway. Cayce puffed out of the works feeling brand new once more.

As she puffed out of the works, a big blue 4-6-2 puffed out of the works, a smug look on his face.

“Hello. Who are you?”

“Cayce.  Former I.C.R.R. 382.”

“Pah,” said the engine grumpily. “You’re an American engine. We don’t need you here. We British engines were here first.”

“So?  Sir Topham Hatt specifically asked me to come,” Cayce shot back.

The big blue engine huffed.

“Is that so? Well, if you’re lucky to stay long enough, you may just see me pulling the Express. That should be a splendid sight for you. Goodbye.”

The blue engine quickly left. Meanwhile, a smaller blue engine entered the yard. This one had a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement and had a kind face.

“Don’t mind Gordon. He’s just upset that the workload increased after Henry’s accident. I’m Edward. Welcome to Sodor.”

Cayce smiled.

“Hello, Edward.  I’m Cayce.  Remind me to tell Gordon about my runs with the Cannonball sometime.”  She paused a moment.  “Who’s Henry?”

“Henry is a friend of Gordon’s. He worked the express sometimes, but not a lot. He’s in Crewe getting a rebuild after his accident last month. He’s a bit boastful, but not as much as Gordon and James. He’s very kind too.”

Cayce was also curious.

“Who’s the little blue tank engine?”

“Ah,” chuckled Edward. “That would be Thomas. He’s a bit cheeky, but he’s very friendly. He’s in a bit of a foul mood right now though. He doesn’t like winter because he has to wear his snowplow. Speaking of, your plow just arrived at the docks, and I have it here for you.”

Cayce glanced over.

“Thank you, Edward.  I promise I’ll be more cooperative when it gets put on.  I don’t mind snowplows.”

Edward whistled, and was uncoupled from the flatbed.

“I must be off. See you at the sheds. Goodbye!”

Edward puffed away.

“Goodbye!” Cayce called as workmen started working on getting her snowplow attached.

That evening, Cayce arrived at the sheds. Thomas, Edward, Gordon, and a red engine that Cayce didn’t know were there.

“Hello!” Cayce called as she came up to the turntable.

There was mostly silence.  Edward returned the greeting, but Gordon and the red engine ignored her and Thomas was too busy glaring at his snowplow, as if his gaze could melt it.  Cayce backed into the spot next to Gordon.

“You can’t stay there!” Gordon shouted, noticing her.  “That’s Henry’s spot!”

Cayce hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should move.

Edward spoke up.

“Henry would be okay with this, Gordon. Besides, Cayce can sleep in whatever berth she wants, as long as it’s not occupied. Henry will be back before you know it. Then you can stop grumbling about the extra workload. You’re not the only one affected, you know, but do you see me complaining? No.”

Cayce shot Edward a grateful look before turning her attention back to Gordon, smirking.

“So, a fellow express engine, huh?”

“You’re not an express engine. You’re too old to be one,” replied Gordon.

“Enough, Gordon,” said a voice. It was Sir Topham Hatt!

Gordon instantly tried to defend himself.

“But...Sir...”

“No, Gordon. No excuses. As a matter of fact, Cayce is a former express engine and I have decided to put her on the Express rotation. As for you, Gordon, you are taking some cars to the quarry tomorrow.”

“But...but, Sir! Express engines don’t take cars.”

“No, Gordon, that is final. Cayce, you will pull the Express first in the morning. Thomas, will you shunt coaches for her before you head off to your branch line?”

Thomas thought for a moment.

“...Does that include taking off my snowplow?”

“Only for shunting in the yard, Thomas. You’ll have to put it back on before you go. But if you don’t have time to take it off before you shunt, you’ll have to keep it on.”

Thomas was about to protest, but smiled instead.

“I think I have time, Sir.”

“Very good. James, you will take the local train from Knapford to Vicarstown. And Edward, you will take some loaded quarry cars from the quarry down to the docks.”

Both Edward and James agreed.  Cayce glanced over at Gordon.

“Oh, come on.  Cars aren’t bad.  You know, if I never took cars, I would have never been put on the Cannonball run.”

Gordon growled, but a stern look from Sir Topham Hatt shut him up. Soon, Sir Topham Hatt left, leaving the engines to rest.

* * *

Cayce smiled softly.

“Time passed and I stayed around.  After a while, people would come to see me for my history.  They still sometimes come and ask me about what it all was like.  Some questions I answer and others I don’t.  Thankfully, nobody can try and study me or grill me about things that happened.”

She yawned deeply. Belle, Flynn, and Butch yawned too.

“We better get some sleep,” said Flynn. “We’re gonna have a busy day tomorrow.”

All four soon settled down to sleep. As Cayce slept, she saw Casey.

_“You’ve done well, old girl.  Keep my memory alive.”_

He faded away and was replaced by George.

_“You’re making your way around, Younglin’.  Don’t forget where you came from.”_

George faded as well as Drew appeared.

_“I couldn’t be more proud of you, Darling.  Follow your heart.”_

For the first time, nightmares didn’t plague Cayce that dreaded night.  The stars smiled down on her, especially a certain three.

* * *

The next morning, Cayce awoke early. Belle, Flynn, and Butch had left quite some time ago to go help clear the tracks, as well as help anybody who needed it. Cayce was soon steamed up and left the main shed of the Rescue Center. As she puffed along, she thought back to what Drew had said to her in her dream.

“What did he mean by “Follow my Heart”? Did he mean…?”

She begin to think deeply. There was a warm, almost concerned feeling when Henry had his accident the night before. She remembered all of the times they were together. How she helped him with a train when he got back, how he rescued her when she got stuck on a hill. Then she came to a realization as to why she felt that way.

“Do...Do I love him? Do I love Henry?”

She thought hard, her focus moving from her surroundings.  As if Fate was insisting on getting them together, Cayce glanced up a few minutes later to find herself just outside the Steamworks.  Quietly, she remembered how it had grown since she had been there before peeking inside.

Henry was sitting just inside, waiting patiently. His frame had been repaired, and his paint was still scratched up, but he definitely looked better. Then he noticed Cayce.

“Cayce. Hi.”

“Hi,” she replied, coming over to him.  Most of the workers scurried off, not wanting to be around in case things got awkward. Henry smiled.

“I’m just waiting for my replacement tender. They’re making a new one from scratch. It hasn’t been done in a couple of years, so I’ll be here a while. I think.”

Cayce smiled back, fading after a moment as she tried to put her words into proper sentences.

“I...I want to talk to you about something.”

Henry was confused.

“Okay? About what?”

Cayce took a deep breath.

“Henry...do you remember when we first met?”

“Yeah...you helped me with a train when I first got back. I was still getting used to my rebuild and you helped me get started.”

“I…,” Cayce continued.  “Henry...I think...I think I love you.”  As soon as those words were out of her mouth, Cayce mentally chastised herself for how ridiculous that probably sounded.

Poor Henry was shocked. He didn’t realize that the engine that he has crushed on for so long loved him. He gulped.

“Um...Cayce...I sorta...have a confession to make….”

Cayce felt something in her throat sink down to the bottom of her boiler, fearing the worst.

“...Yes?”

“I...I had a crush..on you...for the longest time. I heard about your history from Edward. I asked him about you a couple of years back and, knowing your history and how much you’ve been through...I...admired that you persevered despite the challenges...and...I think that’s what led to my crush of you...so...I...think...I think I love you too.”

Moving forward as much as he could, he buffered up to Cayce and kissed her.  Cayce’s eyes widened as she was taken by surprise, but they quickly closed in happiness. But what they didn’t realize was a couple workmen had stayed behind and watched. They had also made bets on who would kiss who first. Let’s just say whoever betted on Henry won a lot of cash.

Meanwhile, Victor, who didn’t realize what was going on puffed in.

“Kevin, where are you...Oh…”

Victor quietly puffed away, leaving the two engines to themselves.

* * *

One Week Later…

A week later, everyone on Sodor knew that Cayce and Henry were together. While they were teased about it, the two didn’t mind. Cayce waited patiently for Henry outside of the Steamworks. Today was the day Henry would released from the Steamworks and put back into service.

Steam billowed out from the doors as a shimmer of green paint appeared and the sound of puffing echoed. Soon, Henry puffed out of the Steamworks, shining like he was brand new.  Cayce smiled broadly and puffed up to him, giving him a quick kiss.

“You look splendid, Henry.”

Henry blushed a bright red.

“Thanks, Sweetheart. Come on. I want to show you something.”

Henry whistled and led her down the tracks until the came to a heavily wooded area. Henry puffed to a stop in a siding, Cayce following behind him.

“This is where I like to come to see nature and listen to the wind through the trees. To me, it’s my home away from home. It’s beautiful and peaceful here. And I want to share it with you.”

Cayce didn’t say anything for a moment, looking around her.

“It...It’s beautiful here.  It seems fitting.  You seem like an engine who likes things like this.”

Her voice held no mocking anger, only love and happiness.

“Thank you for bringing me here.”

Henry smiled before backing up onto a nearby turntable which was built specifically for him, and turned around so he could face Cayce.

“You’re welcome, Cayce. I love you.”

Cayce smiled.

“I love you too, Henry.”

The two engines kissed once more, the sounds of nature being the only sound in the background. And, for the first time ever, Cayce truly felt she was home at last.

The End…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta Da! Cayce's story is finished and she and Henry are a couple!
> 
> Anyways, Saber and I will be focusing on AMT for the next little while, then we have a surprise for all of you. Thank you for sticking with us to the end!

**Author's Note:**

> Just a couple of quick notes.
> 
> Firstly, Saberius_Prime has also put this up on FanFiction.net on his account, Saber The F4U Corsair.
> 
> Secondly, if you're enjoying my other story, "The Island," do not fear! It will continue! Not as quickly as this one probably will, I'll admit, but it will continue!


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